The Chinese version of the Davidson Trauma Scale: a practice test for validation

Area of Science:

• Psychometrics
• Clinical Psychology
• Trauma Studies

Background:

• Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) diagnosis requires reliable assessment tools.
• A validated self-rating scale, the Davidson Trauma Scale (DTS), exists for PTSD diagnosis.
• There was a need for a culturally adapted DTS for Chinese-speaking populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate the Chinese version of the Davidson Trauma Scale (DTS-C).
• To assess the psychometric properties of the DTS-C for PTSD screening.
• To establish the reliability and validity of the DTS-C in a Chinese-speaking sample.

Main Methods:

• The DTS was translated into Chinese using a two-stage translation process.
• 210 survivors of the Chi-Chi Earthquake were recruited as subjects.
• Psychometric properties including internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and concurrent validity were evaluated against clinical interviews.

Main Results:

• The DTS-C exhibited excellent internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.97) and test-retest reliability (r = 0.88).
• Concurrent validity showed a diagnostic accuracy of 0.85 at a DTS-C score of 44, with high sensitivity (0.9) and specificity (0.81).
• Factor structures aligned with DSM-IV PTSD symptom groupings, indicating robust psychometric strength.

Conclusions:

• The DTS-C is a psychometrically sound and reliable instrument for screening individuals with potential PTSD.
• The scale's high reliability and validity support its use in clinical settings for Chinese-speaking populations.
• DTS-C is particularly valuable for early identification and further diagnostic assessment of PTSD.